Life skills are abilities which sustain and improve one’s quality of life. Life skills can be anything from knowing how to prepare a simple meal, fixing a leaky faucet and even changing a flat tire! The mastery of life skills is even more essential for women, as this will not only increase their independence but also promote self-reliance and confidence.

The following is a list of 10 Life Skills Every Woman Ought To Master ought to master as it will make her life easier and leave her feeling wiser:

Life Skill #1: Traveling Solo

When was the last time you followed through on something without compromising or discussing it with another individual? Traveling solo means heading to a place of your own choice and making your own decisions. Believe it or not, traveling solo is liberating. The experience helps you appreciate all the sights and sounds that are entering through your senses. At the end of the trip, most women realize that they actually didn’t need anyone else to accompany them on their adventure. Some even wonder why they waited so long in the first place!

Life Skill #2: Saving for Retirement

This is an essential life skill for every woman. It may seem difficult to think about retirement when you are in your 20s and 30s, but old age does creep in quite quickly and you’d rather have something saved up than nothing at all. Saving for retirement is quite easy. Make it a plan and a goal to put away a small amount of money into your savings each month. This figure will depend on your income minus your expenses. If you are a housewife, consider seeking part-time employment. This may only be possible after your children have entered school full time. Nevertheless, it is something you must consider if you want some retirement savings of your own. For women who are employed at salaried positions or have their own businesses, you can put away a percent of your income in targeted retirement funds. It may worth your while to visit your bank and discuss which retirement savings options are best suited for you. There are also many tools available online which can help you calculate your savings.

Life Skill #3: Purchasing Life Insurance

This is especially important for women who have dependants. These can be your children, spouse or parents. Life insurance provides for your dependants in the event of your death. While you may already know this, you might be confused about how much life insurance to purchase in order to keep your dependants fed, housed and clothed. The terms, exclusions, and inclusions are all written in fine print and require careful consideration. You can start by doing an online search. There are many free life insurance calculators online that can help you determine an exact figure and the type of coverage you will require. Next, contact a few insurance agents and invite them to discuss various plans with you. After speaking to all of them, make a decision based on your affordability and how much coverage will be necessary.

Life Skill #4: Using a Drill and Screwdriver

Screws and hinges loosen and or fall out on a regular basis. It is very annoying when you hang your towel on the rack, and the entire thing comes crashing down! This is when you need to know how to wield a screwdriver and drill, depending on the emergency. Most household projects are quite simple. If you’re stumped with what to do, simply search online and you’ll be surprised by all the how-to videos out there. These are instructional videos or tutorials which provide a visual demonstration on everything from how to use a screwdriver to how to use a hammer. Mastering this skill will help you hang up your own curtains, put up your own shelves and even fix door hinges. Think about all the money you would save!

Life Skill #5: Checking for Tire Pressure

Checking the air in your tires is a crucial skill. Loss of air pressure in your tire can lead to serious motor-vehicle accidents. While changing a tire requires a wrench and lots of manpower, checking tire pressure is quite simple. Usually, a light in your dashboard will signal any issue with your tires. Simply purchase an air tire pressure-gauge and place it in your glove box. Be familiar with the recommended pounds per square inch needed. This information is usually present inside of the driver’s door. To check the pressure, simply unscrew the air valve top located inside the tire. Then attach the gauge device onto it. The PSI number should immediately appear. If the pressure is below the required amount, quickly drive to your closest petrol station and put air into the tire. After filling up, recheck the tire pressure. If it’s too high, press on the tire valve and release some trapped air. Recheck once more.

Life Skill #6: Seeking Cyber Protection

Women who frequently shop online will be familiar with the “https” that is present at the start of every secure web address. If there is no “s” present, it is possible that the page is not secure. This means your credit card and personal information may get stolen.

There are other ways to protect yourself online. If you have a profile on Facebook and want to control who accesses your information, simply click on the bar located at the right of your page. Go to “general account settings”. Then scroll to “security” and check off or uncheck any item that will help you customize how your profile is viewed by others. This means you can control who contacts you, who tags you, who is able to see your postings, who finds you and if search engines are able to establish a direct link to your postings. Other social media accounts may be managed in this manner as well. Anything you post on the Internet leaves a digital trail. This information can be ultimately found and shared. To protect yourself better, always adjust your settings on a regular basis.

Life Skill #7: Breaking up with friends

This is a common occurrence. It may happen due to personality conflicts, damaging incidents, and even life circumstances. Once you decide to part ways with an individual, do it swiftly and cleanly. Be sure not to tell others in your circle ahead of time. When ending your relationship, meet that individual in private. Keep the conversation sweet and simple. You can say things like, “I’ve decided that it would be better if we both part ways in terms of our friendship. I have arrived at this decision after careful consideration and I ask that you respect it”. Avoid delving into details as this simply opens up another conversation and gives the other person the impression that you are trying to make amends. This is a difficult conversation to have with anyone, but it’s a part of life!

Life Skill #8: Accepting Compliments

Receiving compliments may make you feel uncomfortable on the outside, but let’s face they feel good on the inside. They certainly help boost one’s confidence level. Many of us are so uncomfortable with receiving compliments that we often deflect them. by doing so, you are rejecting the compliment and dismissing the other person’s feelings. This is rude behavior. The best response to any compliment is “Thank You”. Just accept the compliment graciously and with a smile. If you are squirming inside from all this lovely attention, simply return the favor.

Life Skill #9: Learning to say No!

There are four simple ways you can learn to say “No”. These are:

1) Saying “no” on your terms: In this scenario, someone may ask for your help with something. Respond by saying “no” immediately. Follow suit by saying what you can offer. For example, “No, I won’t be able to come and help for three hours. One hour is all I can manage.”

2) Saying “no” for now: Use this scenario when you mean what you say. For example, “I won’t be able to help you out today. I’m free Monday”.

3) The full-stop “no”: This is the most difficult one, so it needs to be stated concisely and clearly. For example, “I understand you’re in a bind, but I can’t help you this time”. Avoid getting into details or getting talked back into helping. Simply be polite and change topics.

4) Delaying the “no” response: simply say “I’ll get back to you on that”. This buys you some time and allows you to really consider helping on your terms.

Life Skill #10: Writing an appropriate Thank You note

Thank you notes are a thoughtful way of expressing your gratitude. In today’s cyber dominated world, hand-written thank you notes are a personal touch that is more likely to be remembered than a thank you email. To write the perfect note, simply include the following elements:

State “thank you”

Name the gift, item or favor the individual presented you

State something you like about the gift and what you plan to use it for, i.e. fill it with flowers and place it on your center table or enjoy a cup of cider etc.

Mastering life skills empowers and liberates women. It frees them from the need of being dependent on their partners. Most importantly, learning how to do things for oneself builds confidence and one’s self esteem.